Four Commitments That Quietly Steal Your Best Work

Burnout hides in the almost-right commitments.

The wrong commitments don’t announce themselves. They don’t arrive as obvious burdens or impossible demands. Instead, they creep in as well-meaning additions—obligations that look good on paper but quietly erode the rhythms you need to do your best work.

If you’ve ever ended a season feeling drained despite doing meaningful things, you’re not alone. The problem isn’t that you’re doing too much of the wrong things. It’s that you’re doing too much of the almost-right things.

Why the Right Commitments Matter

Not every worthy invitation deserves your yes. Some commitments drain energy without producing fruit. Others crowd out the work only you can do. And a surprising number persist simply because letting go feels like failure.

The leaders who sustain excellence over the long haul aren’t the ones who say yes to everything. They’re the ones who protect what matters by learning what to subtract.

Four Commitments Worth Examining

Before your calendar fills again, it’s worth asking which commitments you’re keeping—and why. Are they born from genuine invitation, or quiet obligation? Are they producing fruit in proportion to the energy they demand? Are they aligned with your unique calling, or could someone else handle them just as well?

And perhaps most importantly: are you staying out of conviction, or out of guilt?

These questions aren’t easy. But they’re essential if you want to enter the new year with clarity, margin, and joy.

Read the Full Article

This week’s edition of The Maestro’s Dispatch unpacks all four commitment types in depth—with practical questions to help you discern what to release and what to protect. Read the full article here and reclaim the margin you need to do what you’re uniquely called to do.